State Party Punishments Banned?

9:28 AM, Mar 17, 2010

State political parties are watching the "Rosalind Kurita" bill closely and exchanging e-mails about whether they should take preemptive action. The bill prohibits a state political party from removing anyone from the ballot who has won a local primary.

Kurita, then a Democratic state senator, voted with the Republicans to elect Republican Ron Ramsey as senate speaker and lieutenant governor. After she won her primary for re-election the state Democratic Party refused to certify her as its candidate in the general election, awarding the spot to her primary opponent.

The state Republican Party has voted not to allow House Speaker Kent Williams to run for re-election in the Republican primary in Carter County because he voted with the Democrats to make himself speaker.